The Fort

The Fort

By

Howard Rambsy, Sr.

The Home Place

Most days came and went just like the day before it, but today Loujean felt that little uncommon stimulation in the air that she could not put her finger on. No matter how hard she tried to apprehend or how she tried to ignore it, something was amidst that she could not account for. But before she could get carried away with trying to comprehend what was going to happen she recognized that her attention would be better spent dealing with what she knew would take place. As much as her feelings told her that she should be more concerned about her younger sister and the older woman that they considered a grandmother since the removal of their parents, this nagging feeling continued to bother her about an imminent destiny. Were it not for the fact that whatever this impending experience was, Loujean felt that life would be better for her and everyone closely attached to her, she would have been able to walk away and think no more about it.

Before Loujean could get overly involved with the incident of her mind she was jolted back into reality when she recognized the familiar voice of Mr. Will Sims calling her from the front part of the large house she was charged with taking care of. Mr. Will Sims was not a large man but the way that he portrayed himself made him appear to be larger than life itself. As Loujean rushed from the back of the house to the front, she wondered to herself, how could a woman as petite and appealing as Mrs. Sims find anything stimulating in Mr. Sims. Just as she rationalized that appearances and affection had nothing to do with the developing of the other, she found herself face to face with an agitated Will Sims. Before she could address the purpose of his summons, he spoke to her in his emotionless voice, demanding that she prepare a meal fit for a king for the evening meal. He went on to clarify that he would be having his overseers present for the evening meal because he had important news that he wanted to share with them.

Hearing this, Loujean could only drop her head and retreat to the kitchen with a heavy heart. It was now that she knew that the rumors that had been circulated around the plantation no louder than a whisper were undoubtedly true. The last time she remembered hearing such rumors, her mother and father had been sold away from the plantation, at about the same time that Mr. Sims had taken over the operations after the death of his father. As Loujean tried to mentally prepare the evening meal she could not help but feel that Mr. Sims was the most heartless person that she had ever known. As she contemplated the preparing of turkey or duck for the meal, a tear rolled down her cheek that would have caused a passerby to think she had feelings of fondness for the bird. But, her mind was focusing on the fact that the end results of the current gossips would yield the separation of her and her beloved sister.

With the evening meal well on the way and the only hindrance now was the time that it would take for the old wooden stove to cook the meal, Loujean made sure that the fire was a slow burning simmer as she went to locate her sister. On her way from the plantation house she crossed paths with a very pregnant Rosie Lee. While marveling the fact that soon Rosie Lee would be a new mother, Loujean showed signs of becoming upset when she inquired of Rosie Lee is she had seen her sister. Rosie Lee assumed that Loujean was upset because she had finally heard about Mr. Sims plans to sell off some of the plantation workers. And everyone knew that any upcoming sale would surely include Loujean’s sister. At the same time without speaking Loujean felt a measure of sadness because she knew that the probability existed that the father of Rosie Lee’s baby could be sold without ever seeing or getting to know his soon to be born child. Trying hard to keep from breaking down Rosie Lee let Loujean know that the last time she saw her sister she was with Miss Sally down by the fishing pond. Working equally hard to hold back her emotions Loujean thanked her as she made her way towards the shack that she and her sister shared with Miss Bell as living quarters.

Moments later Loujean notices Miss Sally sitting on a block of wood near a very large woodpile next to the slave quarters. As if on que tears stream down the face of both women when they notice each other. Miss Sally stands, and moves as fast as her elderly body will allow to embrace and hug Loujean tight. Doing the embrace speaking as best she can as her voice breaks Miss Sally tells Loujean that they knew this day was coming. She goes on to say that Loujean’s sister was much too pretty for Mr. Sims to let her stay on the plantation. Because if he did more nights than he cared he would be explaining to Mrs. Sims why he was so later getting to their bedroom. Just before the women can separate from their embrace Miss Sally tells Loujean that when it rains it pours. She goes on to explain herself by informing Loujean that Mr. Morgan had made it known to her sister that he expected her to be in the corn crib by supper time tonight. Loujean steps back from Miss Sally with a look of complete horror on her face as she seems to fight hard for each breath of air that she takes. As if her words of truth would serve as comfort Miss Sally tried telling Loujean that she knew this day was coming. She went on to say that it was a blessing from the Lord above that nobody had forced that girl into the corn crib long before now. But both Miss Sally and Loujean knew that Mr. Sims had considered saving the girl for himself. Both women assumed, with Mr. Morgan being the head overseer, he figured that with the girl being sold soon now was his best time to do what every other overseer on the plantation had long wanted to do. Raising her dilapidated apron, to try and wipe all the tears from her face, Loujean appealed to Miss Sally to find her sister, and have her come to see her in the kitchen of the big house. As Loujean walked away Miss Sally dropped her head, and in a silent prayer, asked why is it that after having all that they have, would the white man wish to ruin the best that the black man has also?

With the conclusion of her prayer Miss Sally saw Loujean’s sister approaching her walking in a carefree manner. Fighting to maintain her composure Miss Bell calls out to the younger woman. When the women were within arm’s reach of each other Miss Sally embraces the younger woman just as she had her older sister a short time earlier. Trying to talk through a muffled sob, Miss Sally calls the young woman name in a way that she had never spoken it before when she stated, “M-E-Lee, your sister wants to see you up at the kitchen in the big house.” M-E-Lee detected the strangeness in Miss Sally’s voice that she could not identify as she inquired of the older woman, “What’s the problem Miss Sally? Is Loujean feeling alright?” Miss Sally elected not to reply to M-E-Lee’s query but instead released her grasp on the young woman allowing her to move of in the direction of the big house. As Miss Sally watches M-E-Lee walk away once more she prays a silent prayer. This time her prayer asks for protection of the innocence of a young woman trapped in the world of enslavement with no hope for the joys of freedom.

Because her steps had been taken with an energetic pace, M-E-Lee found herself standing in the kitchen of the big house in record time marveling at all the food her sister was concocting, that reminded her so much of the Christmas feast Mr. Sims so often threw. When Loujean saw her, she dropped the knife she was using to cut the vegetables to the floor and rushed over to embrace her sister. Feeling that it was her obligation to try and console her sister, M-E-Lee sought to let Loujean know that everything would be alright, no matter what she would always be there to take care of her. Hearing her sister’s words caused Loujean to sob uncontrollably as she rationalized that M-E-Lee had no conceivable idea of the plan that Mr. Sims was formulating. M-E-Lee figured that Loujean was worrying about nothing and now rather than later was the time to set things straight. As her sister continued to sob, M-E-Lee pulled her closer and while in a tight embrace informed her sister that all Mr. Morgan wanted her to do was to come down to the corn crib and shuck the corn that would be used as seed corn for next year’s crop. Hearing this Loujean began to sob louder as she held her sister tighter. Not knowing how to handle the subject that Mr. Sims had plans of selling her, Loujean could not think of approaching the subject of why Mr. Morgan really wanted M-E-Lee in the corn crib. Deliberating Mr. Morgan’s plan for the corn crib, Loujean recognized that she would much rather her sister roll in the corn shucks with Mr. Morgan than being sold away from her as Mr. Sims planned. Knowing that she would see her sister after Mr. Morgan had carried out his plan, and understanding that after Mr. Sims plan was carried out she would never see her sister again Loujean stopped her sobbing. Loujean released her tight embrace and placed her hands on the shoulders of M-E-Lee and looked at her for quite some time before she began to try and explain her feelings to her younger sister. During her explanation Loujean let her sister know that this was home for the sisters and Miss Sally. She went on to say that no matter what happened or what any man did they were still sisters and this was still their home. She concluded by telling her sister that even when one of them was away because of the love that they had for each other this would still be home. After Loujean had rushed M-E-Lee from the kitchen so that she could finished cooking the evening meal, M-E-Lee pondered as she made her way back to the slave quarters, if her sister was beginning to show the signs of old age that she had so often heard Miss Sally and the other old women speak about.